US5806181A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Contact carriers (tiles) for populating larger substrates with spring contacts
Assignee: FormFactor Inc
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Filing: 1997-01-24
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Granted: 1998-09-15
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Expires: 2017-01-24
Abstract
Abstract The invention relates to making temporary, pressure connections between electronic components and, more particularly, to techniques for performing test and burn-in procedures on semiconductor devices prior to their packaging, preferably prior to the individual semiconductor devices being singulated from a semiconductor wafer.
Inventors
- 👤 Igor Y. Khandros
- 👤 Benjamin N. Eldridge
- 👤 Gaetan L. Mathieu
- 👤 Thomas H. Dozier
- 👤 William D. Smith
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 09:16
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01R; G01R1/00; G01R1/02; G01R1/06; G01R1/067; G01R1/06711; G01R1/06716; G01R1/06727; G01R1/073; G01R1/07307; G01R1/07314; G01R1/07342; G01R1/07364; G01R1/07378; G01R3/00; G01R31/00; G01R31/28; G01R31/2851; G01R31/2886; G01R31/2889; H; H01; H01R; H01R43/00; H01R43/16; H05; H05K; H05K1/00; H05K1/02; H05K1/11; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002; Y10T29/49117; Y10T29/49124; Y10T29/4913; Y10T29/49144; Y10T29/49204
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
111 words
Method of probing an electronic component by contacting the electronic component with a plurality of spring contact elements, the method comprising the steps of: providing a relatively large substrate which is as large as a testable area of the electronic component desired to be probed, said large substrate having a front surface; and mounting and connecting a plurality of at least two tile substrates to the front surface of the large substrate, each tile substrate having a plurality of spring contact elements extending from a surface thereof; and urging the large substrate and the electronic component towards one another so that the spring contact elements make contact with the electronic component.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
111 words
Method of probing an electronic component by contacting the electronic component with a plurality of spring contact elements, the method comprising the steps of: providing a relatively large substrate which is as large as a testable area of the electronic component desired to be probed, said large substrate having a front surface; and mounting and connecting a plurality of at least two tile substrates to the front surface of the large substrate, each tile substrate having a plurality of spring contact elements extending from a surface thereof; and urging the large substrate and the electronic component towards one another so that the spring contact elements make contact with the electronic component.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
Method, according to claim 1, wherein the electronic component is a semiconductor wafer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
Method, according to claim 2, wherein the testable area is a plurality of die sites on the semiconductor wafer; and the spring contacts make contact with the plurality of die sites all at once.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
Method, according to claim 1, wherein the testable area of the electronic component is at least half of an overall surface area of the electronic component.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
Method, according to claim 1, wherein the electronic component is a printed circuit board.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
Method, according to claim 1, wherein the electronic component is a liquid crystal display panel.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
Method, according to claim 1, wherein the spring contact elements are probe elements.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
Method, according to claim 1, wherein the spring contact elements are composite interconnection elements.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
Method, according to claim 1, wherein the spring contact elements are contact bumps disposed on a membrane.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
Method, according to claim 1, wherein solder connections between the tile substrates and the large substrate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
Method, according to claim 1, wherein the relatively large substrate is a space transformer of a probe card assembly.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
Method, according to claim 1, wherein: the electronic component is a semiconductor wafer; and the spring contact elements of each tile substrate contact individual semiconductor dies on the semiconductor wafer on a one-to-one basis.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
Method, according to claim 1, wherein: the electronic component is a semiconductor wafer; and the spring contact elements of each tile substrate contact at least two semiconductor dies on the semiconductor wafer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
Method, according to claim 1, wherein the tile substrates are aligned to the large substrate by solder joints.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
Method, according to claim 1, wherein the large substrate with tile substrates mounted thereto is mounted to a probe card.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
Method, according to claim 1, wherein the large substrate with tile substrates mounted thereto is mounted to a probe card and is connected to the probe card by an interposer.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
86 words
Probe card assembly comprising: a probe card; a plurality of probe elements; a space transformer substrate having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first plurality of terminals disposed on the top surface, and a second plurality of terminals disposed on the bottom surface; at least two tile substrates, each having a top surface, a bottom surface; means for effecting electrical connections between the tile substrates and the space transformer substrate; and a plurality of probe elements disposed on the tip surface of the tile substrates.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
86 words
Probe card assembly comprising: a probe card; a plurality of probe elements; a space transformer substrate having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first plurality of terminals disposed on the top surface, and a second plurality of terminals disposed on the bottom surface; at least two tile substrates, each having a top surface, a bottom surface; means for effecting electrical connections between the tile substrates and the space transformer substrate; and a plurality of probe elements disposed on the tip surface of the tile substrates.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
Probe card assembly, according to claim 17, characterized in that: the probe elements are free-standing spring contacts.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
21 words
Probe card assembly, according to claim 18, characterized by: tip structures mounted to ends of the plurality of free-standing spring contacts.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
18 words
Probe card assembly, according to claim 18, characterized in that: the free-standing spring contacts are composite interconnection elements.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
62 words
A tile, adapted in use to be mounted as one of a plurality of tiles to a larger substrate, comprising: a tile substrate having two opposite surfaces; spring contacts extending from a one of the two surfaces; solderable terminals on an other of the two opposite surfaces; and means, within the tile substrate, for connecting the solderable terminals to the spring contacts.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
62 words
A tile, adapted in use to be mounted as one of a plurality of tiles to a larger substrate, comprising: a tile substrate having two opposite surfaces; spring contacts extending from a one of the two surfaces; solderable terminals on an other of the two opposite surfaces; and means, within the tile substrate, for connecting the solderable terminals to the spring contacts.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-09-14 | 2002-03-16 | 2002-09-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-09-14 | 2006-03-16 | 2006-09-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-03-16 | 2010-09-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |